


day eight ; walkers.

by quinlinkin



Series: take it from me ( i'd be lost without you ) [8]
Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: Other, twdgdrabblechallenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-08
Updated: 2019-11-08
Packaged: 2021-01-25 12:20:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21356161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quinlinkin/pseuds/quinlinkin
Summary: While he’s admittedly been one of the hardest people to get an accurate reading on out of all the kids that have passed through Ericson’s gates, shethoughtshe knew him better by now. Though if there’s one thing shedoesconfidently know, it’s that he isn’t coldhearted.
Relationships: Ruby & Mitch (Walking Dead: Done Running)
Series: take it from me ( i'd be lost without you ) [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1533620
Comments: 4
Kudos: 4





	day eight ; walkers.

**Author's Note:**

> again- _whoops on the word count pfffff_. but listen, a solid af connection between mitch and ruby is honestly sooooo important to me, and i could literally talk about them forever _ok_

As she kneels against the cold, dry earth, a lone tear falls from her face.

It’s become somewhat of a routine for Ruby to visit Ms. Martin’s grave site. While she may not be physically buried here, it brings her an odd sense of comfort to sit with the memory of the former school nurse. Her former mentor, the true mother figure she never had. It’s been a long while since she’s missed her quite as much as she has over the past week since stumbling upon her remains.

She still bears a lot of regret for what happened. At the very least, she wishes she’d pushed further for an attempt to recover her body over the years, despite how Marlon had always so indignantly refused the idea. The last time she’d tried, she’d ended up in tears, Marlon with a sore chest from where she’d forcibly shoved him amidst her distress.

But now, with Marlon gone and the school’s way of operating drastically changed, she’s finally offered her wish in providing their beloved caretaker with a proper sendoff.

Not that it had come as easily as it _ should _ have. It pains her to know that there was such a fine line between Ms. Martin’s ultimate fate, a single choice that made all the difference in the world.

She still can’t wrap her head around Mitch’s desire to burn her body.

While he’s admittedly been one of the hardest people to get an accurate reading on out of all the kids that have passed through Ericson’s gates, she _ thought _ she knew him better by now. Though if there’s one thing that she can say she _ does _ confidently knows, it’s that he isn’t as coldhearted as the request had made him seem.

Either way, she’s left confused, angry, hurt… Mitch remains one of the few people left who knew firsthand the impact their nurse had on them all, yet most especially, what she had meant to _ her _. To even suggest such a thing feels like a backhand to the face, and since she’s sure she’d be immediately shut down if she were to try asking him, she’s been forced to keep her mouth shut about it these last few days.

And so, it comes with a great bout of surprise when his voice suddenly sounds behind her.

“_Hey…_” he murmurs, and it’s more than enough to have her jumping out of her skin.

Rising to her feet, she _ wants _ to turn to regard him, but suddenly finds that she can’t. Shoulders tensing, she lowers her head. “You scared me half t’death…”

Mitch stays quiet for a while. Ruby almost suspects that he’s gone just as quickly as he arrived, if it weren’t for the continued presence she can feel looming over her shoulder.

Finally, he speaks again, and it’s every bit as straightforward as she can expect from him. “_Sorry _.”

She allows another beat of silence to settle uneasily between them, until she’s forced to speak up in an attempt to quell the prickling of her skin. “What’re you doin’ here?”

Again, she doesn’t receive a response right away. It’s like she can almost _ hear _ the gears turning in his head as he works at speaking whatever is on his mind.

“Mhm… Just- I dunno…” he finally continues. “Wanted to talk to you, I guess.”

“You _ guess? _” Ruby presses. She’s still not exactly thrilled with him.

Mitch heaves a deep sigh, before he’s finally voicing his thoughts. “Look, I - I wanted to apologize to you, okay?”

Once again- definitely _ not _ what she expected. He’d been so stubbornly defiant in his opinion, so agitated that he wouldn’t even _ consider _ the alternative Ruby had proposed. He hadn’t even helped bury her.

“Why…?” she finds herself asking, unable to resist glancing at him from the corner of her eye.

She can see him fidgeting. It looks out of place.

“I was-” he breaks off with a curt sigh. It’s seemingly taking a great amount of effort for him to speak. “I was an inconsiderate asshole, alright? But I mean- I know _ you _ know that already. _ So_.”

A part of her already wants to tease him for using the word _ inconsiderate_. If she wasn’t still so angry with him, she just might contemplate doing so.

She doesn't budge, however. She’s not about to give in that easily. “And? Is that it?”

Mitch lets out a breath, until he suddenly makes a mildly awkward, random observation. “The grave looks nice.”

The comment effectively makes her lose it.

“Oh, you think so, huh?” she sneers, and at last, musters up the courage to face him. “That’s awfully funny, since you wanted _ nothin’ _ t’do with a burial for her last week.”

Mitch’s eyes advert, gluing to the ground as his brows furrow and his posture visibly tenses.

Ruby is hardly finished with him. Now that she’s _ finally _ awarded with an excuse to confront him, she’s not about to waste it. “_So? _ Don’t got anythin’ to say for yerself, or what?”

Although it looks like he’s about to answer, she abruptly cuts him off. “_Why? _ Why would you want t’jus’ - _ burn her? _ Like she didn’t mean a _ damned thing__?_ Do you not remember everything she did? For _ all of us? _ Yeah, walkers are walkers, but they _ were _ people. _ She _was a person-”

Now, it’s Mitch’s turn to cut her off. “_I know._”

Ruby bristles. “_Do you? _ ‘Cause it sure seems like you _ don’t_.”

“It makes it easier to deal with, alright?” Mitch all but snaps. This time, Ruby lets him continue. “Just- separating the undead from us. I get it doesn’t make sense to you, and I _ am _ sorry, but- it’s harder to move on if you dwell on who they were. It… doesn’t change anything. They’re still _ gone_, and there’s nothing any of us can do about it. So, it doesn’t matter if they’re burned or buried, but at least we wouldn’t have to see another goddamn wooden cross in this _ shitty fucking graveyard_.”

All Ruby can do is stare, her mind racing to process everything he’s just said.

She’s able to piece it together fairly quick. Or, so she _ thinks _. The only way to confirm it is asking him, and she won’t be surprised if he explodes on her.

“You… don’t like the reminders, do you…?” she tentatively questions, keeping a careful watch on him for his reaction. She’s thankful when he stays relatively calm.

“Who _ does? _ Somebody being dead is hard enough to deal with already. Especially if-” he stops himself, though instead of backtracking or leaving it at that, his voice drops to barely above a whisper as he adds, “_She meant something to _ me _ too, okay…_”

In an instant, Ruby feels guilty. She should have known better, that there was an underlying cause to his reasoning for protesting against a burial. First Marlon, then Brody, all buried within a span of less than twenty-four hours. Coming upon Ms. Martin immediately after, it was as if they’d lost _ her _all over again, too.

“Mitch…” she whispers back, her brows pulling together.

He shakes his head, never one to welcome a pity party. “No, it- it’s fine. Don’t-”

For one last time, Ruby interrupts him again. “We don’t have to forget who someone was just because we can’t do anything about them being gone... It’s _ important _ to keep their memory alive. Even if it hurts us to think about.”

All Mitch can do is nod slowly. She knows he won’t be so easily convinced, not when his own way of thinking has been so set in stone.

One step at a time, she supposes.

**Author's Note:**

> you can view the entire prompt list for this challenge + further details [here](https://stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale.tumblr.com/post/188685687800/twdg-writing-challenge-write-a-drabble-every-day). all of my drabbles will also be posted on my personal tumblr ( under the same username ), so always feel free to contact me about anything at all over there! happy writing!!


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